Moonspear The Creature From the Black Lagoon

Rain drizzled down from the skies, a perpetual thing in these lands, it seemed. Perhaps it was miserable to some, but for Keres, it was simply a hurdle to jump, or rather slog through in this case. She was a wolf on a mission, hunting down the family she sought to reunite with. It had been ages since she'd seen them, since she'd gotten to be surrounded by those she cared for. After the kids had all left the nest and her mate had passed on, Keres got up and carried on, the way she always had.

All she knew was they had better appreciate her efforts. Grey fur had turned brown with dirt and mud, her limbs somewhat caked in it as the currently gentle rain did nothing to help her stay clean. If anything, it made it worse as she had wandered from the Northeast, towards more mountainous terrain that was sure to be less muddy.

The matriarch was in the lower reaches of Moonspear today, wanting to see for herself the state of the lowlands. Though the stone was slick, Hydra was adept enough to know how to navigate the terrain in all manners of inclimate weather. Rain was rain just as ice was ice; the rocky face of Moonspear was as effected as it always was in such weather. Her calloused paws made things far easier at least, but she was no less careful for it. For the timebeing, the mountain itself was stable and nothing crumbled and gave underfoot. 

Once her descent was completed, her gaze scanned her surroundings. From here she could see much the same thing that her mate had reported, and then some. Hydra looked to the ground and took a step forward to sample the loamy earth and felt it give, yielding more and more as she added more pressure to it through her weight. Mud gripped her ankles in time, and Hydra frowned as she lifted her leg, the earth releasing her with a pop that caused her ear to flick. She was used to terrain in the lowlands and how it reacted to the elements, but she recognized that this was different. The rain was filling a cup already full, and had been for days... her gaze drifted as she wondered at the ramifications of this. 

Prey would be easy to take down in this, but hardly easy to chase... a decent waiting game would do the trick, she surmised, before the creature would tire itself out. Determined to accomodate herself to a change without end in sight, Hydra forged ahead. The going was slow as she slogged through the terrain, investigating all manners of things along the way. She tested her own abilities and movements and humored calling for @Antares, @Atlas or @Bronco down for a spar when movement caught her eye. 

Hydra was nonplussed by their presence, aware that she herself had moved beyond Moonspear in her search, though her interest was apparent enough in the way she altered her path to pick her way toward the stranger. Aware of new enemies in the mountains beyond (and equally aware of the loathsome lot she had pinned a death note upon), she was careful to mind her defenses along the way—but without her son and Desdemona home yet to report to her the extent of this weather and where it might end (or begin), she felt it worth asking after in any event... and, were this one such wolf that were foul or familiar in a way that brought ill feelings about, it would be relatively (given the state of this terrain, it would not be as easy as she might hope, but even still...) simple to kill two birds with one well-aimed stone. 

But she was not a rash woman. Hydra did not allow herself to jump to that conclusion, she only included it within the realm of possibility. And so as she drew nearer, Hydra let out a whuff in greeting to alert the other of her presence had they not recognized it themselves (entirely possible, what with the rain confusing scents, obscuring vision a bit, and omitting some sounds typically easy to pick up on); she ensured the bark was loud enough to not be missed (though who knew, with this damnable weather, if a torrential downpour might fall that same instance!), appearing amicable enough for the moment but leaving it up to the other if they did not desire company to decline her presence. Even friendly wolves had teeth when they were at their wits end and wished to be alone.

The movement most certainly caught her eye, and the sound too, causing the mud monster to slow to a halt and let the other approach her. Tail flicked idly, though it was more of a limp noodle movement as she kept it low, signalling that she was open to whatever was about to happen. She was a touch perturbed that she could not smell her but that was less of an annoyance now than it had been when she'd started this muddy trek. At least it wasn't storming again.

When the other was close enough, Keres did move severeal steps closer, her impatience getting the best of her. Paws squelching through the mud, she helped close that distance until she was sure that they were within chatting distance. Is it always like this here? Assuming that the other had lived here for a while. If she hadn't well then they could both be lost together. If she had, at least maybe she could determine if hunting through these lands was best put off until a drier season.

Once the distance between them was bridged, Hydra extended her snout to seek any telling scents that might indicate this wolf was foe rather than simple stranger... but they wore no such thing. It could be that the mud withheld such vital information, but it gave the other precious minutes more of life, and with it an altogether pleasant (enough) affect from Hydra. The question might reveal to most that this wolf could be a newcomer, but Hydra would never be most—she preferred to be cautious. But she was not thorny in demeanor for it. 

No, she answered with a sigh, I have never seen it rain in such a way in all of my years here, the matriarch candidly revealed. Is it not like this elsewhere, at present? she wondered aloud, curious as to what Keres had seen in the lands beyond... perhaps, then, the Teekon Wilds were the beginning of it.

All her years. So she had lived here a while, which meant that she probably knew wolves in the area and asking her about a certain set of wolves could prove beneficial. Excellent. Not from what I've seen. She looked over her shoulder, as if to look back on all the steps she'd taken to bring her here, to this place and this moment. Perhaps it was all for naught. Perhaps her journey could finally come to an end. Either way, Keres swung her head back around to look at the mountain woman.

It's been relatively dry, all the places I've been through. Compared to this, at least. This was a hydrophobe's nightmare. How long has it been raining like this? She asked, picking up a paw and squelching it into the mud again. This was not normal rain, and the woman had even stated she hadn't seen it before, so was it only recently that this land had turned into a bog? Would it clear up eventually? Surely, it had to. Surely.

Where was it last dry? How far from here, she asked, thinking, at length, of what might need to be done should the rains never come to an end. Might the place she had come from last be worth searching to see if it was still dry...? Well, that depended on what she might have been running from, if anything. Some had pasts they sought to escape... others were just explorers, such as her mate. 

Hydra looked thoughtful as she considered the length of time this had been going on for. The past several weeks, she realized. Now and then, it will stop for an hour or so... only to begin again. It is not so bad, above it all, she was fortunate to be based upon one of the Wilds tallest mountains with her family. It was something she was becoming used to, but she knew that the rain should it continue this way would no doubt effect the way things went in months to come. She could only begin to guess at how, though.

An ear flicked as the tilted her head in thought, a low hum audible as she considered the distances she had crossed. It had been a long journey from home, where the mountains down south stood watch over miles of deserts and flat lands. In between here and there, there had been all sorts of weather; storms, droughts, hail... but a comfortable dryness? A ways, She answered finally. Far past the mountains to the East. Far, far past.

She wondered why the rain had not let up here, and wondered more why the creatures all stayed. She had seen plenty of wildlife, though she had only caught hares and squirrels and picked at a carcass or two. Living on one's own was tough and she was more skinny for it, though to Keres, if she could find the ones she sought, it would be worth it. Keres, by the way. I'm Keres.

Eastbound mountains. Beyond them. 

Calculated rejoinder, or the truth? 

You must have the patience of a saint, here her eyes turned to behold the muddied stranger fully so as to see any inkling of discomfort or uncertainty, should they be the sort of Saint she was referring to. Hydra imagined there would be something to indicate their being found out so quickly if she happened to be correct in her passive assesesment. to have traveled that long of a ways, and not settle down in a dryer place, she finished, shifting her weight. It is a disappointing time to come to these Wilds by way of weather... but the food is still plenty, it seems, she revealed. True that they moved upland for the most part, but there were some still about here yet. 

The other then introduced themselves, and Hydra repaid the favor in kind. I am Hydra, she introduced. So, Keres... knowing what you know of the state of things, here Hydra gestured in a roundabout way to the falling rain around them, do you think you will go back to those dryer mountains to the East? She found herself genuinely curious as to that. The rain would have at least some wolves reevaluating the real estate they stood in... and Keres, new as she was to this place, had nothing to keep her here yet... so Hydra thought, at least.

The patience of a saint, she had said. Keres laughed, an amused glint in those green eyes. Oh, I don't know about that. I tend to be more impatient than anything. She hadn't even waited a week after her mate had passed to find the other Ostregas. Loneliness did not become her, and patience had never been a strong suit so after saying her goodbyes to the pack, she had gone about her way, searching for her family.

Pleasure, Hydra. Hope no ones tries to take your head. I think you look rather alright with just the one. Cheeky, but certainly not meant to be insulting. Just a friendly jab at someone she had just met. 

Y'know, if I was smarter, I wouldn't stick around with all this going on, lest I be washed away. Alas, I'm on the hunt for someone. Someones rather, and I'll settle down when I find them. Even if they live in the most hellish place you could imagine. She was nothing if not loyal. And stubborn. On the chance that she found her family and they didn't care for her, she'd stick around anyway, watching over them from afar. It was a possibility she had contemplated during her trek, and one she had since reconciled with. Only time would reveal what would happen and she had a decently long amount of time to give.

The others answer was swift, earnest, and far too casual to be anything less than what it was (as Hydra decided to determine): the truth. The choice word had not unsettled Keres, nor had it struck any nerve to cause any evident physical discomfort. The others quip was not missed, and Hydra drawled, oh, some have; do not fret too much over such things, though—I settled for their own as my comeuppance, she answered in turn, and though her tone was light enough there was precious little to reveal the contrary to be true. Keres did not know it yet, but she was no liar. There was nothing to her that displayed she was any sort of threat to Keres, at least—on the contrary, Hydra rather liked her quick-witted perception and her knowledge of the stars, to boot, to know her namesake. 

Hydra wondered how her other two heads might like her, though knew Lyra was investigating herbal stores and Alya was watching the cubs. To hear the other would be staying—for her hunt of... who?—meant that at some point or another, they might have the opportunity to determine that for themselves. Well, tell me who you seek then. Perhaps I can help some, she offered, throwing the other something of a bone. It might also help eliminate other considerations that had come to pass, and give Hydra herself further peace of mind. Not for helping, but for ensuring that this wolf was not her enemy that she ought to have just killed. She had lived too long to let herself prolong another enemies lifetime. Better to just get it over with, and quickly.

Oh, Keres liked her. Pretty and ruthless, if what she said what true. Even if Hydra settling for someone else's head was a joke, then she had a wit about her that could be appreciated. And, she could take a joke to boot. This was unfolding to be a very nice, if very wet, meeting. The agouti female would count today as a positive; she had died, drowned, or gotten stuck in the mud, and she met someone pleasant to talk to. Wins all around.

The offer of help made her tail move heavily back and forth a bit in some semblance of a wag. Even if Hydra hadn't heard of them, that would keep the female from wasting her time, lingering where her family didn't live. Anyone that goes by the name Ostrega, actually. We're family and I haven't seem them in what feels like eons. High time for a reunion, y'know? Just finding someone that could point her in the right direction would be fantastic.

Hydra's eyes grew bright as the other revealed who it was they sought. For what purpose was quickly answered (before it could even be asked, which was appreciated), and Hydra's own tail stirred now. You are in luck, Hydra drawled, I am Hydra Ostrega, Queen of Moonspear, where there happen to be several more of our family, she drawled, introducing herself properly now. And if you are an Ostrega, then I cannot allow you to meet such a fate as drowning out here on your lonesome. I simply could not live with myself, and I am much too selfish to face that sort of end. You and I both deserve better than that, she hummed with a grin. 

It was her own lucky day too, she had found. Keres was good company, and Hydra felt fortunate that their paths aligned. Selfish indeed, for all her quips Hydra did not desire for Keres to depart to find dryer, greener pastures now that she knew that she had one more family member in this world.

Much to Keres' delight, her search ended right then and there. Hydra Ostrega. And a Queen to boot, who led several other Ostregas. A smile blossomed across her face, eyes lighting up with her sudden happiness. Well, shit, She said with a grin, ears perking forward in earnest. I could not agree more. Can I live here with you? Wasting no time in asking, Keres had little doubt that she would say yes, but this was something she did not want to assume. Rain be damned, she would happily live here if it meant she could be with her own.

So long as you can hunt, and are willing to learn how to defend yourself and the borders, I do not see why you should not live with us, she drawled, turning now to lead the way. Given that the other had made it this far alone, she felt sure that they could at least hunt decently enough to survive even if they were not thick with their success... she was a lone wolf, and to find one that was heavy from hunting was rare indeed. And as for the latter, well, so long as she was willing Hydra would teach the other how herself.

The Ostrega wasted no time falling into step beside the other, shoulder brushing her flank to feel that contact. Mud and dirt would be spread on Hydra's fur but Keres had little care for such matters at the moment. The requests made were easy enough to agree to, though Keres would not just parrot the words back to her; such an action would have been meaningless, and family was worth so much more effort than that.

Whatever you ask of me, I will give my all. It was a promise that she would keep, even to her dying breath. There was nothing she wouldn't do now that she had found them; traversing this distance to simply say no because the Queen asked something of her was ridiculous and defeated thje purpose of her journey at all.

Who else is here? She knew the family was vast but perhaps she had heard of them or, even better, knew them.

Then you are now yet another Ostrega of Moonspear, she determined, content to let the other exchange scents with her and looking over her shoulder so that the other could know she meant it in earnest. As for who else was among them that bore the same surname and home? Considering, she drawled, there are many. Who are you related to? It might be quicker to tell you who is not among us than who is, Hydra suggests. Indeed, from her children, to her mate, to her brother and sisters, as well as her nieces and nephew to boot... it would certainly be simpler if Keres was looking for her own children, or alternatively siblings. But then, Keres could just as well be seeking the entirety of her family tree. Hydra turns to regard the path they traverse, mindful of the new obstacles nature has created with the endless rain.

Moonspear. The name of her new home, aand where Keres would aim to stay for as long as possible, which -- unless something drastic happened -- would very likely be until her death. As for who she was related to, the list was long, truthfully. But her priority was her siblings, the ones she had grown close to in her formative years, and her children. I have some siblings I'd love to find, truth be told. Dirge, Lestra, Nyx, and Saor. There are some cousins, too, but I have not seen my litter mates in a long while. While she was loathe to think it, her parents had surely passed on by now.

I have a few children out there somewhere as well, but they are grown and out on their own now. Keres was proud of the wolves she'd raised them to be and was certain they were living their lives to the fullest.

Dirge was this womans brother? Hydra was able, by some strange force of nature, to continue walking despite the information gained, which to the matriarch was wonderful in that she could impart upon Keres more good news... for one littermate, at least. Dirge is with us—he is my mate. So that would make you a sister of mine, too, by extension, in-law, in-love... Hydra cared not for those trifling little details there, but was thrilled to know that she had gained yet another sister this day in whatever way.

You have eight nieces and nephews, too, who will be eager to meet you—there is Osiris, Antares, Atlas, and Vega... as well as Mira, Mintaka, Caelum and Altair, she revealed warmly, looking to the she-wolf to see how she took such news. Each of which who resided upon Moonspear, though Osiris was out with Desdemona in search of more information in regards to this weather and its impact upon prey, and Morningside she recalled.

Keres stopped in her tracks, lest her jaw drag along the floor. Sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly. She had, but she was still flabbergasted. While she had hoped she would find her siblings, she couldn't have been more surprised that it had happened. And to learn that the pleasant mountain was her sister, that she and Dirge had children. Best. Day. Ever!

This is wonderful! The she-wolf exclaimed, bouncing closer and shoving her head into her sister's fur to breathe in deep the smells of her family. Keres had always been a biot touchy, especially with family, and now was no different. Walking close to Hydra, Keres beamed as she spoke again. Probably a good time to let you know that the name Dirge would know me by Grey. I changed my name somewhere along the way and I haven't seen him since then.

Grey. Hydra felt certain that Dirge, in some point in their years together, must have provided her with the names of his family members... but now, she had a refresher from Grey. There was another name that had sounded familiar, too, but as the conversation went on Hydra was too thrilled and in the moment to look back further than the present she was in. Hydra had not thought for a moment Keres would disapprove of her—women of their pedigree were hard won and hard to come by—and yet, she was still pleased to hear Keres think it wonderful. 

It was wonderful. 

Hydra bonded, from time to time, through physical displays... more sparring and nipping, but also there were tender moments such as grooming. Hydra did not snap Keres away as she would most others, humming pleasantly. So, you prefer Keres then? she ensured, wanting to know what Dirge's sister would rather be called. Wolves changed names, this was not the first she had heard of it. Dirge would know her in scent—all else changed, except for that. Pack scent, appearance, the sound of ones voice, names... but scent of an individual? It brought back memories.

The contact was a delight; the woman had been alone for months now afterall, and while she would have settled down eventually, she was thankful that that time had come sooner rather than later. Keres was not built to be a wanderer, prefering the comfort and closeness of those she trusted and cared for to the call of the Great Unknown, the vast swaths of unfamiliar land with no companion save her own thoughts and the conversations she spun 'round and 'round between herself and the figures from past.

I do. I found I did not like being named after a color rather than something with identity and purpose. The name was one from a tale her late husband had spun, regaling her with stories and myths from his pack's culture. She had identified with the name, though not because she felt she embodied the spirits but rather with the awe they had struck within her. Perhaps a silly reason to change one's name but... She flicked an ear, finding the right words during a brief silence. I feel like I found myself afterwards, if that makes sense.

A ghost walked among them.

His intent had been to mingle with Hydra along her patrol, but it would seem that she presently entertained a company of a different kind. A company that upon witnessing, the recognition had come for him with a dagger to thrust deep into his chest. In the hole that made a sense of overwhelming dread filled a considerable void, and he had abandoned any present commitment or thought in what he would do.

Dirge instead followed them from afar, staying deep and close to the thickest of timber and weed, ever mindful of where he stepped or how he tread through still, deep waters. They were not difficult to track by any means; his ears strained to hear their words but he could not, and was forced to study their body languages. Hydra, with her intrigue—and she, that ghostly sister he had left behind so many years ago, seemed comfortable in the company of his viperous wife.

When joy seemed to erupt between them, he reached an impasse and subsequently a clear way of following them. It was there that the trees began to thin along his own path and the water a touch too deep to suit him to follow quietly, even at a distance. He had to relent, to settle to watch them move on—it felt conspirative to him, if only for a moment, to think that perhaps Hydra had known he would be trailing and had chosen the route she had.

But the rain did not care nor make sense of how they wanted things.

He would have to wait to see what became of this.

a cameo post

I quite like the color grey, Hydra drawled, appreciating a woman with which she could banter appropriately with. Not so dark as black, nor pale as white... perfectly in the middle, though some days, you wonder if that is so. Does it err on the darker scale, or the lighter? she hummed aloud, but in hearing of Keres speaking to her identity, her purpose, with her new name... Well, Hydra did not like to wonder. Well, you will have to tell me the meaning of Keres then, she encouraged with a wave of her tail. 

There was a moment in which Hydra felt as though they were being followed. Dirge was not incorrect, entirely, in his assumption of her maneuvering—but wrong to think it was him she avoided. Hydra did pause to look toward the outskirts of Moonspear once to ensure none lurked that needed dealing with before delving deeper into the Spear, following an old and familiar route. One that would be easy for Keres to take, soft paws and all. Hydra did not think it silly at all; if the name Keres wore now suited her more, then why should she not change it?

A sound of amusement left her, finding Hydra's thoughts on the color curious and fascinating both. She supposed that she had never looked at it from that angle, but what was done was done; Grey had been shed many moons ago in favor of the moniker she carried now. She was already thinking of how to explain the name when the dark woman asked, an ear flicking in thought as she walked alongside the other.

It was a tale from my late huspand's upbringing; the Keres were goddesses of death, avenging the deaths of their comrades by falling upon their enemies and sending their souls to the underworld. Perhaps it was a bit of a stretch but she had always loved the stories her husband told that had involved the deities and felt a similar loyalty to the ones she called family. Though Keres was mild-mannered now, she knew how to fight, and only deathj would stop her from avenging her loved ones.

Hydra had not the patience for most stories, but this one—short and succinct—did the trick for the matriarch. No doubt the length of it helped, but the content, too, kept her. I can appreciate those sorts of goddesses, Hydra drawled, identifying with them even while looking to the path ahead now and humming, if only the wolves around here knew the lore of your late husband. Here, they would sooner call such a woman a liar and a monster for killing any, she drawled, muzzle wrinkling with distaste. Still, it would not stop her from doing what she must to do as the Keres would. 

Looking to her sister, now, Hydra hummed, I am sorry to hear of your husband, by the way... sorry, too, that she had not been able to meet the man with clever stories, is that when you came to identify with the name? Or did he die peacefully? If you do not mind me asking, she wondered, wondering at what point in the others life she took on the name Keres for herself.